AutoZone Autozone Store allows scammer to harrass customers in and outside store Oakland California

We arrived at AutoZone around 8:30 pm to purchase a car cover. As we left our car to walk towards the store entrance, a young man (Marcelle) approached us outside and asked what we were buying. We told him we didn’t know yet. Then he stated he could buy it for us with his store credit. We refused his offer and walked into the store. As we picked out our item, we approached the counter to buy it and noticed the man was in the store again. We ignored him as we waited to be helped and he approached us again saying how much do you have? We stated we weren’t interested but he kept trying and was coming it our face pursuing us aggressively.

The man eventually left the store. We purchased our item and left the store. As we approached our car, we noticed a loud hissing sound. The first thing we thought about was the man must have slashed our tires out of revenge. We found out what tire was hissing and quickly went back into the store to tell security and the store manager. We told them we think it is the man who harassed us in the store. Security told us to come inside and call the police. We went back outside to access our car. As we went back inside, just a few minutes later, the man (Marcelle) came back into the store to purchase something. We asked him if he vandalized our car. He became very irate with us and denied it. He came into our faces and trying to plead his case and wanted to get our information so we could all look at the tapes together.

We were very afraid and thought he was going to assault us because he was very erratic. At this point, we were really afraid for our lives and felt very threatened. It was dark outside, our car was disabled, we felt stranded and the situation had escalated. We couldn’t believe security and management was allowing him to harass us further and not ask him to leave us alone. We were not sure if the man would attack us a weapon or harm us. We were stressed, panicking all along knowing the store staff did not intervene to help us feel safe and diffuse situation. The security guard, manager and other staff members stated he does this all of time.  They stated he harasses customer often and even steals from their store and tries to return the items. An employee stated they even know his name. The security guard was talking a lot about how this goes on all of time along with asst manager but they failed to protect us and we felt unsafe inside their store.

The lack of customer concern for our welfare was present and they seemed to just want to blow it off with words to try and relate to us. Asst. Store manager said the manager was not present and we would have to wait until tomorrow to see the video or call the police. We called the police and while I was on the phone, this man was asking my friend for our information and phone number. He was harassing further as we ignored him and was waiting for the police to arrive. We were concerned about our car in the parking lot and kept trying to watch it as the store would be closing soon. The asst manager offered to give us a Fix it Flat product to temporarily fix our and tire get us back on the road. The manager came out, applied the product to our tire. Asst manager said could tell where the slash in the tire was as he used the product. He went back into the store.

As we tried get into our car, the man (Marcelle) approached us again parking to the side behind our car, stating he wanted to give us his info and wanted ours so we can come back and watch video surveillance in the morning. We told him to leave us alone and stop harassing us, but he kept on bothering us over and over and eventually drove off. We watched him leave and go down the street west of international Blvd in his gray van with chrome like hub caps. As we were going to leave and drive off, we noticed the tire was back to a flat state. We went back into the store and told the manager it did not work. He came back out to access it said that was all he could do and he had to close his store. He did not offer a spare tire at all. He told us that he couldn’t help any further because this happened outside the store. He told us there was a difference between what happens in the store and what happens in the parking lot. We called our road service and waited 2 hours in the dark in our car for assistance to arrive. We felt abandoned by the staff because again we were going to have to wait for assistance with our car as the staff left to go home, which left us alone in that dark parking lot while the store closed. While waiting, many passersby walked through the parking lot watching us. There was prostitution going on right outside the parking lot. We felt threatened and felt danger for our lives. We were afraid waiting at night time in a dark parking lot. We thought about how the man could come back to harass us even more and it caused much emotional distress and physical.

When road assistance arrived and handled our flat, the police arrived. They took a report and stated we will be hearing back from them about getting video tapes from the incident from the inside and outside of the store at the time of the incident. We left the store parking lot around 11:30 pm. We spent 3 hours there from 8:30pm to 11:30pm.

Overall, the store management and security of AutoZone failed us by:

1)      Not diffusing the situation and removing him when the man came into the store twice to harass us.

2)      Not making us feel safe inside their store as we patronized their business

3)      Not create a safe and peaceful environment inside their store as we spent money in their store

4)      Most importantly, by failing to prevent the ongoing problem with this man harassing customers  which resulted in causing us emotional distress, loss of personal time by waiting for road service, feeling in danger inside and outside the store during late hours,

5)      Lack of customer service

6)      No signs in parking lot stating AZ is not responsible for what happens there

7)      No signs for no soliciting, no loitering, or harassing

8)      Management stating they have nothing to do with happens outside the store.

9)      AZ acted intentionally in a way that greatly disregarded Tina Phillips and Ronda Jett’s safety.

10)   Allowing Marcelle to use store credit and knowingly defraud the company and/or customers over and over again.

11)   Breaching company policy or is there even a policy in place?

12)   Marcelle appeared to be very friendly with the staff and calling one by name.

We have contacted corporate with complaints and have had absolutely no responses by mail and certified mail. They have evaded our contact completely.